battery bank size?

[toydiesel01]

just wondering what size battery banks people are using for off grid houses?
what are the loads people have on them ?
what is the charging time on the banks? what amp charging?

[spencer1885]

I use a 48v forklift battery to power my stuff from 10 at night to 4 in the afternoon.
I charge in between at 40 to 50 amps with a dynamo.
Apart from stopping and starting on diesel I use waste engine oil mixed with free petrol diesel mix.
My batteries where left flat on a scrap forklift for more than a year but there still working.
Here's a list of what I run of them in a day
Tv
Computer
Waste pump
Drill
Grinder
Welder
Fridge,freezer
Tyre machine
Coffee machine
As I,am charging the batteries I use the AC of the generator which is driving the dynamo.

[mike90045]

An off grid battery bank needs to be sized thusly, for longest life:

Total daily load:  KW  _______    4KW

Daily load should only deplete the bank by 20%, the bank should be 18KW in size
The deeper you discharge, the fewer cycles the batteries have.

Recharge needs to be done ASAP when the battery gets below 70% full (30% discharge), or the lead sulphate crystals harden and don't re-dissolve, reducing capacity. (sulphated battery)

[Tom]

We are using a nice set of 4 hawker industrial batteries, each is 12v and 1055 ah. They are wired in series for a 48 volt bank. We charge at 50 to 70 amps based on the season. We use about 10 kw per day and have a 3.4 kw array.